President Harry Truman once famously said, “The secret of raising children is to find out what they want to do and then encourage them to do it. “ I think that’s great advice – and so did my kids! Note to self (and to you, too): Apply the same advice in your outreach to donors. Year-end fundraising: Beyond the tried-and-true As … [Read more...]
What Do I Do Now? The Facilitator’s Guide to Intuition
Note: This guest post is from Katherine Golub, a personal coach and consultant. To learn more about her work, visit CoreBrillianceAcademy.com. Thanks, Katherine! Have you ever facilitated a meeting where things start to feel off, and you aren’t quite sure what to do next? At those moments, do you wish it was easier to figure out … [Read more...]
Board Fundraisers — What’s on the Menu?
Have you ever spent time with a three-year-old child? As a parent, grandparent, sibling, babysitter, teacher…whatever your role. If the answer is “yes,” then you undoubtedly learned the following strategy. It’s not useful to ask a young child, “What socks do you want to wear?” Instead, you offer a specific, limited set of … [Read more...]
How to Claim Your Trainer Power
In Tucson, where I lived for many years, there’s a popular line of t-shirts based on the Mexican card game loteria. My favorite, El Mundo, features a picture of Atlas balancing the world on his shoulders. He’s the same fellow, sculpted in bronze, who towers over Rockefeller Center in New York City – knees bent, biceps bulging, head … [Read more...]
How I Started My Consulting Business
In 1993, I sat down with my boss – the last boss I’ve ever had – and said, “I’m giving you two year’s notice.” To his credit, he didn’t laugh. He looked at me, a little confused, and said, “What are you talking about?” “I’m starting a consulting business,” I said, “and I’m going to do it a little at a time.” “OK,” he said. “Tell … [Read more...]
Who is Your Board Fundraising Spark Plug?
Imagine the following scene. The lonely staff fundraiser – let’s call this person Executive Director or Development Director – sits alone in a very small room, thinking about a very large fundraising goal. “Hello, board!” the fundraiser cries out. “Are you there?” A long pause. Nobody answers. “We need to raise a lot of money. … [Read more...]
When People Stop Coming to Meetings – and What to Do About It
When was the last time you dreaded going to a meeting? If you’ve been avoiding meetings lately – or attending because you have to, not because you want to – you’re not alone. Even worse: if you’re the person who organizes meetings, perhaps you’ve experienced that moment – the moment when you’re thinking, “What if nobody shows … [Read more...]
Reaching Into the Facilitator’s Bag of Tricks
Once upon a time, there was a nonprofit board that operated without boundaries – or to put it more charitably, didn’t know what its boundaries should be. The organization was in transition, gradually moving from a collection of volunteers who did everything to a nonprofit with professional staff. Lacking term limits, some of the … [Read more...]
New Consultants and Trainers: Five MORE Tips for Success
A few months ago, we published a blog post about how to create and build a consulting and training business, with lots of practical, hands-on advice. The post was so popular – many comments, shares, and emails – that we’re jumping in again with five more tips to support your work. Even if you’re not a consultant, consider this an … [Read more...]
How to Avoid an Overstuffed Agenda
What follows is a confession. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s true. After 20-plus years of facilitation and training, my time management skills still need some work. Perhaps you have the same problem. Maybe you’re designing a workshop, planning a meeting, or putting together a webinar – and if you’re like me, you have a strong impulse … [Read more...]
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